Whether you’re an entrepreneur, team leader, an expert in your field or on your way to kickstarting your career, whether you like it or not, you are the Captain of your personal brand.
Your personal brand is built by how you choose to present yourself and your core values. It’s who you are and what you stand for. It is represented from how you communicate, your network, how you deal with people, clients, and prospects and now more than ever, your online presence.
As we prepare for 2021, now is the time to refine your personal brand. Learning from the lessons of 2020, I’m sure we’re all due for a personal brand refresh as we plan to fight on and move forward with refreshed energy and a new mindset.
Here are some tips to optimise your personal brand for 2021:
Start by doing an audit of where you’re currently at and where you want to be.
Look at your personal brand and check out what it is telling the world. Keeping in mind, your brand is about being yourself with purpose. Have you ever Googled yourself? Here’s a helpful checklist for when you conduct a personal audit
- Check out your online personal brand. What do you find?
- What do you think of your search results?
- What would your prospects think of them?
- Does what you find reflect your core values? And what you stand for?
- Check your LinkedIn profile – Is it complete? Updated? Have you answered your messages? Missed any opportunities? Have you built your online network?
- Does your brand collateral represent you or does it need a refresh? E.g. business cards, email signatures, bios, etc.
Once you conduct your audit, you can start planning the roadmap ahead – set your goals, personal KPIs strategy, and action plan.
2. Branding yourself
After your initial audit, create a vision for yourself and what you want to be, professionally and personally. Build a roadmap and start with tailoring your strategy – look at your logo, your business card, what your website and social media look like and get yourself out there as a thought leader in the media. You are your brand. Whether discreet or ‘out there’, to build a brand with purpose, you need to have a structured methodology and approach.
3. Your digital resume often speaks before you do
Your online brand or ‘digital resume’ is constantly being shaped and influenced by online mediums and by others around you. It’s increasingly crucial to take responsibility for your profile to stay in the game and on the ball. In today’s digital world, how you are perceived online will be a key factor in the decision-making process whether it be from your prospects, future employers, employees or even colleagues. Your efforts can create an immediate upswing in business as people take more notice of you, your expertise and your proposition. It’s pivotal to put the same amount of effort into your online presence as you do in real life. Start with your socials and then build your way up and be more involved in your industry through thought leadership that drives media conversations.
Now is the time to become the captain of your personal brand – stay relevant and keep reinventing! Learn about our tailored and award-winning TaurusProfile™ offering. The Taurus team of specialists works with you as trusted partners and advisors to tailor a strategic roadmap and approach from a selection of over 30 modules – to pinpoint and meet your strategic objectives. Reach out to us at [email protected].